British expats all over the globe are gearing up to celebrate the wedding of
Prince William to Kate Middleton at the end of this month.

They may not be getting a bank holiday, but expats aren’t letting that get in the way of a old fashioned knees-up when Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot on April 29.

British societies all around the world have already ordered in the bunting for the biggest royal wedding since that of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, with many saying that tickets for their events have already sold out.

One of the biggest expat parties is happening in Singapore, where the British Clubhas no less than 10 days of festivities arranged. Events include a royal street party, a royal wedding dinner, a high tea and an Ascot-themed ladies' night; a range which general manager Sean Boyle hopes will “showcase what the British Club is all about”. A huge team of staff and volunteers have been planning the events ever since the wedding date was announced, with guests booked to appear including Antony Phillipson, the high commissioner to Singapore, the TV chef Rachel Allen - and a Cliff Richard lookalike, of course. So enthusiastic is the Club about the royal nuptials, they’ve even commissioned their own set of china to commemorate the occasion.

Considering that back in Blighty barely 4,000 applications have been lodged for street parties, isn't holding such an extravaganza more than 6,000 miles away from the actual event a little, well, over the top? “We are taking it very seriously,” admits Mr Boyle, "but we see ourselves as flying the flag for Britain. This club has always had a connection with the royal family - Princess Anne opened it in 1987, and we've had a lot of royal visitors - so it seemed a good opportunity to reflect that. And there’s thousands of Brits in Singapore, who are all very excited about the event.”

Preparations are also underway at the Australian-British Chamber of of Commerce, which is dedicated to fostering good relationships between British businessmen and their Australian counterparts. On April 29, the chamber promises to bring “all the pomp and circumstance” of the wedding to a celebratory ball in Sydney where the wedding will be screened live. According to David McCredie, the organisation’s manager, out of 260 tickets, there’s now only a handful left. He claims the event's popularity is easy to explain.

“William and Kate are young, attractive and have a real joy for life,” he says. “On top of that, they seem very keen to be with the people, as Prince William’s recent visit to Australia and New Zealand shows. It’s been a hard few years economically, though admittedly not as bad in Australia as elsewhere, and really, this celebration is about saying: yes, we know have a lot to be austere about, but here’s also a great reason to celebrate.”

Due to the time difference between Britain and Australia, coverage of the royal wedding will begin Down Under at around 8pm on Friday night: perfect for those expats who want to see in the weekend in style. Rather less fortunate are those hoping to celebrate in the US. Members of the British Officers Club of Philadelphia, which dates back to 1919, have decided to rise before the sun in order to make it to a Champagne breakfast, where they will watch the wedding live (after which I sincerely hope none of them are planning to drive to work).

Julian Hutton, the club’s public relations officer, says that he has been quite surprised by the amount of interest in the event - for which the club is opening up to all British societies in the area - but that the Prince’s army credentials seem to have struck a particular chord with ex-servicemen. “Given his young age, he seems a very distinguished figure,” he says. “You wouldn’t believe how scornful everyone here was of Edward when he gave up his military training.”

Another morning affair (though similarly fuelled, we’re sure, by alcohol) is being arranged by New York’s Big Apple Brits, who are planning the exhausting-sounding feat of partying from 5am to 1am the next day. They’ve rented a large Manhattan loft for the occasion, and are booking in comedians, DJs and theatre spots to keep their guests entertained. “We’re planning to make it street party-style, so childhood memories of the Queen's Jubilee will be flooding back for many of us!” says Louise Gale, co-founder of the society. “There’s already chatter of hats, dressing up and generally making a great day of it.”

It seems like the expats are putting Britain to shame. Now, where did I put my bunting?

BEST OF THE REST

Dubai

Expat meet-up group Dubai Reunited is having a “street party-themed spectacular celebrating the Best of British” at Dubai's Polo and Equestrian Club. Highlights include a British market (complete with royal wedding memorabilia), an all you-can-eat buffet, British party games and of course, a few games of polo.

Netherlands

The British Society of Amsterdam is taking a pleasingly theatrical twist on the royal wedding, having based its celebrations around Shakespeare's most famous Kate, in The Taming of the Shrew. They’ll be holding a “Will and Kate” wedding breakfast on April 29, featuring "Shakespearean and other English delights; poetry, comedy monologues, stories, songs, quotes, puns, jokes - something for everyone.” It's being held in Ma Brown's English restaurant in the Dutch town of Haarlem, a 15-minute train ride from the capital.

US

Expat Sheela Kadam is opening her British food store, theBritish Emporium, in Grapevine, Texas at 5am for those expats (or, indeed, curious Americans) who want to watch the wedding in an intimate environment, complete with tea and British breakfast sandwiches. Stick around to keep her company during the day, and you’ll get to enjoy wedding cake, goodie bags and a Kate and William lookalike competition too.

Bahrain

Bahrain's volatile political situation has caused many expats to lie low for the past few months, but the British Clubthere is determined that its festivities in honour of Kate and Will's big day will be going ahead as planned. The celebrations kick off at 1pm, when guests can watch the wedding live with a glass of Champagne and traditional British food. After that, there's a royal wedding street party, an old-fashioned fairground, and a disco and live music to round off the night. "It's the full monty," says general manager Peter Down proudly.

Thailand

Bangkok's British Clubis holding a family-oriented garden party, with live screening of the wedding, a buffet, and activities for children - including a bouncy castle.

Telegraph Expat is holding a competition to find the best photo of a royal wedding party outside of the UK. Simply upload your photo to our Facebook page, and you could win an Olympus digital camera worth over £500. Click here for more details.